Mating Rituals
by Ayrton
Summary: Set in series 2, shortly after Horizon. Auronar physiology forces Cally to leave unless Avon does something about it. Avon/Cally romance, rated T-minus to be on the safe side.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This is a story I wrote a long time ago, but never finished it. Recently I dusted it off and rewrote it in the good tradition of the aliens-made-them-do-it-theme. I might actually have posted the first chapter here before, but the rest is new.

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Mating Rituals

They had all more or less recovered from their ordeal on Horizon. All except Vila of course. He intended to fully take advantage of the fact that he was subjected to hard physical labour. The others ignored the complaints about the severity of his injuries as a result of the horrific experience. Blake had ordered his crew to relax and Avon took advantage of their self induced rest period to do some research on the ship.

Cally had changed since Horizon. Physically she seemed all right but Blake suspected that something had happened which caused her to brood. Funny thing about it was that Cally looked more beautiful than ever. She appeared to be radiating elegance and beauty while at the same time she seemed to be thoroughly unhappy. She spent too much time inside her cabin and didn't come out for their joint dinners.

A good week after Horizon, when Cally had failed to attend another early meeting, Blake decided to confront her after breakfast. He was very surprised when the Auron _did_ turn up in the mess room. It was hard for Blake to take his eyes off her. She seemed to be getting more attractive by the day. He was sure that the other male members of the crew had also noticed this, because even Gan's eyes would linger on the alien a little longer than necessary. Blake suspected that Jenna, being a member of the same sex, was not affected by this.

Cally bade everyone good morning and sat down, a resolved look on her face. Apparently she had not come to eat breakfast.

"I have an announcement to make." she said. "I'm leaving you. I request that you drop me off on the next suitable planet."

Blake was stunned into silence. This was the last thing he'd expected.

"Why?" Vila asked. He was genuinely shocked by the news.

"It has nothing do with you, but I feel that I can no longer remain on board the Liberator. There will be ... complications if I stay."

"Cally, we have all noticed that something is bothering you." Blake said sympathetically. "Since Horizon, you've been...well, different. What caused you to make this decision?"

"Oh, it was not an easy decision." she assured him. "Nothing would please me more than to stay with you, but I'm forced to leave."

"Who's forcing you?" Vila asked casting a suspicious look at Avon.

If anyone could be so cruel as to force Cally away from them he would guess it was Avon. The man never made a secret of the fact that he disliked aliens and especially disliked the 'unreasonable Auronar'. But Avon did not respond to the look he felt burning. Instead he was stirring in his tea cup, watching the steam rise in small crinkles.

"Nobody's forcing me. If you like a simple explanation...my Auronar physiology is forcing me."

"All right. Explain." Blake sat down beside her. "Why is your Auronar physiology suddenly a problem when it wasn't all these months before."

"Something happened last week which set in motion the process of T 'Accoplamèr. It happens to every Auron at some point in their life. It will be difficult to control if I remain on board."

"Could you please explain it in terms that non-Auronar understand?" Jenna asked. "You can't just...go."

"I'm sorry Jenna, but it is out of my hands. If I stay, I will not only make life difficult for myself, but also for all of you,...especially one of you"

"It's Avon isn't it?" Vila was sure of it.

Avon hadn't said a word yet, and it would have been so easy for him to score points on the weakness of the telepath in this matter. If he wanted a chance to rid them of the alien, this one was presented to him on a silver platter. But he just sat there, stirring in his cup, demonstrably not joining the conversation.

Blake glanced over to Avon and knew Vila was right. And from his behaviour he gathered that the man was aware of the fact that he was the cause of Cally's decision to leave. Blake felt the anger rise inside him and knew that this time he would probably not be able to restrain himself. This was too important, Cally was too important to lose.

"What have you done?"

Blake got up, fully intend on forcing out the truth if the tech was uncooperative. Cally gently held him back by putting a hand on his arm and she explained that it was not Avon's fault.

"He has nothing to do with it. It's entirely my own problem and there's only one way to deal with it and that is to leave."

"Well, at least you could explain why you have to leave." Blake composed himself and sat down again.

"On Auronar we select our mate subconsciously." Cally explained. "You might say all Auronar have mates they are predestined to be with. It secures our race and the system never fails. We choose our partners and know the feeling is always requited. It's in our genes that we seek out the ones who were meant for us. Thus nature provides us with the best possible mate to secure healthy offspring."

"And your sub conscience sought out Avon?"

Blake did his best to hide his disbelief. He didn't really succeed. Cally gave him a reproachful look. She knew she was the only one who had a soft spot for Avon, even before these other feelings popped up. But she thought it unfair that the others did not even try to look beyond the cold and arrogant exterior of the man.

"The events on Horizon confirmed what I probably already knew deep in my heart, that Avon is..."

She wanted to elaborate, but thought the better of it when she sensed Avon's uneasiness through the tentative psychic link that had already been established by Cally's subconscious.

"..he couldn't leave us on Horizon and that opened my eyes ... and my heart. Unfortunately this sets in motion a sequence of biochemical and psychological reactions in our species that effects not only us, but also our chosen partners. It must have been very difficult for Avon to even be in the same room with me the past few days."

She knew this was true. Avon had been avoiding her. He felt awkward being near her. She knew he deliberately shut himself off when they were working together. He probably suspected that she was trying to reach him telepathically, which was an accurate assumption. The Auronar went through a certain chain of events while undergoing T 'Accoplamèr. One of the first stages involved forming a psychic link with their chosen partner.

Cally respected Avon enough to try and fight the process, but there was no stopping it. It was like a force of nature and totally unfair to Avon. He hadn't the faintest idea of what was happening and that must have been very unsettling. He was obviously afraid that she might creep into his mind whenever it pleased her, in search for the dark corners of his psyche, where he would never, ever let anyone look.

"I can assure you, that I have no problem being in the same room with you." Avon stated calmly.

His manner did not betray any discomfort, but Cally's senses picked up on something entirely different. He was good at hiding his feelings. Cally knew he had learned that a long time ago.

"If you can learn to live with your confusing feelings, then I see absolutely no reason why you shouldn't stay. This chemistry probably only works on two Auronar. I for myself have not experienced anything."

Blake was a little surprised at Avon's mild reaction to this particularly awkward problem and he was still puzzled about the whole business of T 'Accoplamèr.

"Auronar were a sensible and civilized race. Don't tell me they had to live with this turmoil going on inside the rest of their lives. There must be a way to stop it."

Jenna rolled her eyes and gave Blake a look. The Great Leader of the Revolution could be really dense sometimes.

"Isn't that obvious? It stops when the Auronar in question have fulfilled their duty in securing the existence of their species."

"Eh?"

Vila was the only one who had trouble understanding what she meant. Only because he was too busy gloating over Avon during the conversation. Vila noticed how he couldn't bring himself to look at Cally, but now, a startled flicker in the tech's eyes caught Vila's attention.

"They mate, Vila." Jenna explained.

Vila's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Well, there you have it then! You won't have to leave."

He got up and patted Avon on the back. Well aware of the fact that this was one of the few occasions in Avon's life where he was rendered speechless, Vila meant to fully take advantage of the man's incapacity to retort his jokes.

"Avon will do his duty as a man and you're scot free!"

He kept patting Avon's back until the subject in question seemed to make a growling sound, whereupon the thief withdrew his hand as if he were about to be bitten.

"I was under the impression that human mating rituals were a bit more complicated than that." Cally said. "The Auronar see the mating process purely as a means to reproduce. I understand that human beings grade the aspect of love and partnership very highly."

"Well, you picked the right mate then!" Vila went on, getting bolder by the minute. "Avon is not considered a member of the human race."

The silence in the tech was downright eerie now but Vila continued, ignoring the look of warning Blake cast his way.

"Anyway. Love and partnership...that's a very old fashioned way of looking at it. I'm sure Avon holds more modern views on the matter. Don't you Avon ?"

"Vila if you don't shut up right now, I will..."

The tech rose to his feet but was stopped by a warning hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let yourself be provoked, Avon." Blake said. "I know this must be a little embarrassing for the both of you, but in a way Vila's right."

That brought about an even darker look on Avon's features.

"Well, you wouldn't want to abandon Cally on some planet just because of this?"

"Wouldn't I? And what do you suggest I do about it?"

"Well, ......" Blake hesitated. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation. "....you're a man. Men have needs. We've been stuck on this ship for over a year now and I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one am willing to admit that I sorely miss some healthy R&R."

After a deliberate and loud cough from Vila he corrected himself.

"Alright, Vila...sex. We all have done without that for too long, right?"

Vila's was face was practically radiating. Eagerly he turned to Avon to be able to fully enjoy this wonderful moment. The distant, arrogant Alpha, who never spoke of feelings nor of his past, was confronted with an extremely private matter. The man was so clamped up about his life that Vila didn't even know if he even liked women.

"If that's all it takes to solve the problem, it wouldn't be a great sacrifice for you." Jenna said, trying to sound as business like as possible, although she also had to admit that she enjoyed presenting Avon of all people with this dilemma. "And think of the consequences if Cally leaves. The Revolution would lose a formidable ally."

"Right. You'll just have to close your eyes and think of the Revolution." Vila concurred and couldn't resist adding: "Mind you, I'd keep them open every single second."

"Vila!"

Blake had enough of Vila's carefree approach to the subject. In his effort to humiliate Avon he was hurting Cally's feelings more than the tech's. But Cally remained calm and focused on the facts.

"Avon does not love me." she plainly said.

Blake was surprised at the lack of emotion in that statement, but understood that Cally had been pondering on this problem a lot longer than they had. She had faced the facts, considered the possibilities and had arrived at a solution. And what did he know of Auron emotions when it came to matters of the heart? She was after all an alien.

"What's love got to do with it?" Vila exclaimed. Alpha's and aliens could be so complicated sometimes.

"Isn't it common for humans to love the one they have sex with?"

Being alien to human behaviour, Cally could be very direct. Sex was not a point of discussion among the Liberator crew and with very good reason. Blake avoided the topic altogether because it painfully reminded him of the false charges the Federation had filed against him. Moreover, as a leader, he was well aware of the fact that a crew of mixed sexes would provide trouble if ever one of them acted upon his or her feelings.

Blake had discussed his position on the topic only once and that was when he practically forbade sexual relations between the crew members. Jenna would be no trouble; she liked Blake and he would never act upon his feelings towards her. Avon was not interested in the others as a sexual partner and Gan was still loyal to his dead wife. That left Vila, whom Blake had warned. Repeatedly.

The fact that he had forbidden Avon to entertain sexual relations with any other crew member would normally have resulted in Avon doing exactly that, just to goad Blake. But apparently he found satisfaction enough in obstructing Blake's plans by opposing every decision their leader made and having heated discussion about them on the bridge. He did not seem to be interested in intimacy and stayed well away from any personal involvement.

"Sex and love are two separate things."Vila said in a lecturing tone. "Right Avon?"

"My views on the matter are no business of yours."

Cally ended the discussion. She felt they weren't getting anywhere and she didn't need her psychic abilities to know that Avon was extremely embarrassed by the whole discussion.

"I know you are all trying to help.." she said. "...but I've made up my mind. I shall teleport to the next suitable planet."

And with that she left.

Vila broke the silence but had abandoned his cheerful teasing mood. He liked Cally. He liked her a lot and would be very sorry to see her go.

"We can't just let her leave."

"I have no problem with a one time breech of our agreement." Jenna stated.

"I guess we agree on that point then." Blake concluded and turned to the tech. "Avon?"

"I can't believe we're sitting here discussing whether or not I'm permitted to take Cally to my bed."

"Well, I'm sorry Avon, but although this is a highly personal matter...it concerns us all. We will all lose a good friend if you don't do something about it."

"You mean you'd rather I left." Avon added.

"Don't be like that Avon."

"What I don't understand, is that you are making such a fuss." Jenna said. "We're not asking you to father her child."

"That's not the point."

"Maybe he doesn't like women..." Vila muttered.

"Maybe you and I should step outside for a minute." Avon snarled.

Avon was not a man to make idle threats. Vila got the message. He made himself scarce. Blake and Jenna cleared the table and felt it best to leave Avon alone to let it all sink in.

"I'll consult ORAC on the matter." Blake said. "Maybe there are pills for this condition."

It was an idle hope and they all knew it. If there was a chemical substance to help Auron's through the process of T 'Acclopamèr, then surely Cally would have known about it.

When they left the mess room, Avon was stirring in his tea cup again, even though it was empty.


	2. Chapter 2

The following week was one of many firsts. Blake had put his war against the Federation on hold and let Zen plot the safest course to the nearest suitable planet for the drop off. That meant taking the long route, avoiding Federation territory altogether. Avon was well aware of their leader's strategy of stalling, but he knew it was a futile effort to discuss the matter. Besides, he had other more disturbing things on his mind. Cally. He couldn't stop thinking about her. In fact she was not merely _on_ his mind but also _in_ it.

The first time he clearly felt her, a sense of complete panic took hold of him. He was shocked at the realisation that she might be probing through his innermost thoughts. He felt exposed and hurt initially, but through it all he could also sense Cally's helplessness. He knew the whole thing was beyond her control and as he felt her presence getting stronger, these feelings of resentment were soon overshadowed by other, more powerful feelings.

The first few days, Avon was still capable of conjuring up the air of feigned indifference he had displayed when Cally presented her predicament to her crew mates. But in the course of the following week he found that she deprived him of his sleep, his concentration and - more frightening than anything else- his reason. For the first time in his life Avon truly feared for his sanity. All he could think of was her...and sex. With her. Repeatedly.

He found himself daydreaming about how she would react to his touch, about the taste of her lips, the smell of her hair, the trembling of her naked skin underneath his fingers. He wanted to posses her, wanted to feel her, wanted her more than anything in his life. He rationalised the matter of course and told himself that an intelligent man should be able to control his actions and thoughts but in order to achieve this, he needed all resources available to him.

He could endure the effects of her alien influence a little better when there was some distance between them. He retreated to the lower decks as soon as his watch was over to try and catch some sleep, which was impossible in his own cabin as it was right next to Cally's. He stayed out of her way most of the time. If they _had_ to be in the same room, he made sure to avoid eye-contact at any time. Eye-contact would be the death of his self control and he knew it. The last time his eyes had ventured her way, he discovered to his horror that he was no longer able to control his libido. And now they had reached the stage, where it did not even require a glance in her direction for him to be embarrassed about the weakness of his own flesh. He felt her inside his mind before she was actually in the same room with him and immediately he felt his body react accordingly.

It annoyed him that the rest of the crew did their best to pretend not to notice when he kept dropping his tools or failed to finish the sentences he started. They were being considerate of him, which would aggravate him normally, but in this case he was also grateful for their conduct. The carefully constructed defenses he had erected against this attack on his person were gradually submerging into a confusing emotional and erotic turmoil, causing his body to betray his intelligence and allowing his basic instincts to rule. As a result, he was no longer able to retort Vila's snide remarks, even if he had to.

Vila had teased Avon with the fact that the alien had such an impact on him. Of course. Avon would have been disappointed if he hadn't. The man who had once accused him of being a machine! To some degree the teasing distracted him from the real problem. But Vila had abandoned his mischievous streak when he realized that this could develop into something serious. Cally's condition clearly had its effect on the poor man; up to the point that he sometimes couldn't even frame a sentence properly. They all relied on Avon figuring out the workings of the ship. If Cally reduced him to a blithering idiot, then they might as well step into a Federation prison and hand Servalan the key.

Cally was right. It really was impossible for them to remain on board the same ship. One of them would have to leave, for Avon would not be forced into doing 'the right thing'. Vila failed to understand why. He knew Avon liked Cally. He always reserved his milder insults for her. After careful consideration, Vila arrived at the conclusion that this was just a contest of wills. Blake wanted Avon to do something only _he_ could and Avon being Avon had to be difficult and oppose him every step of the way. It was in the man's nature to antagonize his fellow man.

They were all on the flight deck when the limit of what Avon could endure reached its peak. Blake and Jenna were charting the known Federation bases, Vila and Gan were playing chess and Cally was fine tuning the thrusters from her station. Avon had been working on the screen visual for days now, to improve the range. He got up from under the big screen and cleared his throat before he asked Zen to activate visual. He did that a lot lately, as his voice had a tendency to pitch involuntarily.

"Activating."

The familiar zooming sound echoed across the deck. Then there was a sudden flash on the screen, accompanied by a loud bang and some very disconcerting noises.

"Malfunction." Zen stated.

Slowly all eyes turned to Avon, who had closed his in a futile attempt to suppress the urge to explode into a fit of rage. An outburst of frustration his crew members had expected days ago. Blake took a tentative step towards him, not really knowing what to say. He could see Avon's jaws clenching and small beads of sweat glistened on his temple.

"Avon...."

Avon's eyes shot open, a wild look in them that made Blake step back a bit. But instead of hitting the first person within reach, Avon abruptly turned to Cally, who was still working on her control panel, clearly not registering what her hands were doing.

"_Get out of my mind_!" Avon bellowed in frustration.

On his face a look of agony but his eyes were full of blood-lust. He took a few deep breaths to control himself, ignoring the startled looks the others exchanged. Their fear had become reality. Avon had lost it.

"Cally..." his voice sounded hoarse, but was somewhat steadier now. He waited until she finally risked looking at him, her eyes filled with compassion, shoulders slightly raised in a helpless gesture. "...let's go."

Avon threw his tools on the couch and stalked off towards the exit.

Cally seemed capable of a little more restraint. She shut down her instrument panel and actually excused herself from her duties. Blake sheepishly allowed her to leave.

Vila's sigh gave reign to the relief they all felt about their departure. Being around Cally and Avon these days was like waiting for an accident to happen.

"I always knew Avon could be charming if he set his mind to it." he said to Gan and poured himself another soma.

Blake was already inspecting the main screen, trying to asses the severity of the damage. He knelt down when a small, shiny object on the floor caught his eye.

"Vila?" he asked while picking it up.

"Mmmh?"

Blake held up the item.

"Is this yours?"

Vila's smug smile immediately disappeared. Blake handed him the tool he'd so expertly installed during his night watch. It was no use denying. They all knew it was part of his burglary kit.

"Well, there's no harm in speeding things along now, is there? They'll end up doing the inevitable, right? Might as well give our Avon a little push in the right direction."

He was glad to see Blake's reproachful look turn into a bright smile.


	3. Chapter 3

Cally followed Avon who virtually marched down the corridors of Liberator. He carefully avoided looking at her, but was acutely aware of her presence only a few steps behind him. With obvious self restraint he refrained himself from pacing beside her cabin door. His right leg twitching impatiently, eyes firmly fixed on the floor as she approached and brushed past him. When the door closed behind them, he didn't even venture a quick glance in her direction.

"We need to talk."

Cally could feel the tension radiating from every fiber in his being and immediately felt her body react accordingly. His eyes, feverish with lust, made her dizzy. She was swaying on her feet. From experience she knew that it was no use fighting T 'Accoplamèr, but Cally was a novice in regard to a courtship that lasted _this _long. It was common knowledge that an unconsummated partnership was bound to cause physical and mental discomfort, but nothing could have prepared her for the helter-skelter that was going on inside her now. Her body aching for physical contact, begging to bond with her chosen one, totally unable to focus on anything other than Avon.

"Yes." she breathed. "Talk."

And he did. But the short speech he had prepared about the best course of action from this point on, was forgotten the moment he set eyes on her.

"God, you're gorgeous." he said reverently.

Her beauty was drawing him like a magnet. She felt his eyes appraising her, running along the length of her body in the dim-lit light. The sensation on her skin was almost tangible.

"Avon?" she murmured, her voice questioning and full of need. Avon felt the blatant telepathic attack that accompanied those words, but was also well aware of the fact that she was quite unable to control it. Cally was as much a victim of circumstances as he was.

They gazed at each other for a frozen moment. Then his brain caught up with his actions and he tore his eyes away. Cally felt the full strength of his iron will through their psychic bond. The will that prevented him to trust, prevented him to love…....or allow himself to be loved. A will that she knew was close to breaking.

The door slid open and he turned around to leave.

_Oh, no you don't_.

As the words hit him through the psychic link, so did Cally. She pushed him backwards against the wall, her arms against his chest, restraining him with her body weight. The sudden closeness was overwhelming and she felt his barriers crumble away. Like a dying man's last struggle to cling on to life, Avon panicked as if he was about to draw his last breath. And then suddenly, a serene sense of acquiescence invaded his body. He surrendered. He let out one long sigh and for a brief moment Cally was afraid he would sag to his knees. But then she felt his hand on her hip. The other hand was shaking when he touched her, pushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

His lips touched hers, tentatively at first. The initial touch so electrifying that they both trembled in each others arms. The kiss deepened, his tongue lightly brushed against hers, then reached further inside until he stole her breath and made her moan into his mouth. The thrill of the kiss was like lightening through Avon's veins. He lost himself in uncontrollable passion as he plundered her mouth, blissfully relieved of all the strain and resentment, and he gave himself up entirely.

She ground her hips against his and her breathing hitched as she felt the bulge against her belly. All coherent thought drowned in a bright explosion of senses that spiralled through their brains and made them lose all sense of reality. For the first time in his entire life, Avon had forgotten who he was, what he was and who this wonderful creature in his arms used to be. He devoured her hungrily, finally giving in to these feelings that had been consuming his mind, body and soul over the past few days. Urges he'd so desperately tried to suppress.

"These are not my real feelings." he gasped when their mouths briefly parted. A last effort to rationalize his behaviour and fight the inevitable. "This is your Auron magic working."

Cally, being equally out of breath, could only nod. She felt how her 'Auron magic' was building up its strength for the ultimate attack on her mate. There was no longer any control on her part. She was not even sure if she wanted control to protect Avon. She needed to mate right then and there and the fact that her Auron physiology was the cause of Avon's willingness, was of minor importance.

She drew him into another passionate kiss and pushed him hard against the wall. The thud took his breath away and he released her lips with a grunt. Cally would not easily forget the expression on his face when her hands found the fastenings of his leather trousers. A combination of lust and the utter helplessness of a man who realises that he has just embarked on a runaway shuttle that is spinning dangerously out of control.

****

"God, Cally!"

It was not often that Blake and his crew members shared an embarrassing moment. Not that Vila was bothered much by the heavy breathing and smacking noises that reverberated through Liberator's corridors at the loudest possible setting. It was like being a stud on Avon's leather jacket. He smiled from ear to ear, but seemed to be the only one who applauded the unexpected entertainment.

Gan had welcomed the idea of Cally and Avon pairing up. He liked Cally very much and thought she deserved a little happiness in her life. And Avon might just actually become human under the influence of the alien. But to be forced to witness their lovemaking was an experience he could do without.

Jenna didn't care much either way. She saw the necessity of what was to be done, but she resented the fact that these two were allowed to do what she had longed for ever since she met Blake. She was not jealous really, just sad. It showed her what was never to be.

"They must have accidentally pushed the com-button." said Blake. Jenna thought it adorable how the rebel leader had reddened. "Zen, turn off the com in Avon's room."

"The com in Avon's room is inactive." sounded Zen's businesslike reply, barely audible among the moaning and heavy breathing.

They stood and listened frozen still for a moment, startled by the thuds, that had them all wondering what on earth those sounds were that bore all the trademarks of Federation troopers going through a room without a proper search warrant. Whatever went on there in Cally's cabin had nothing to do with tender love and care. This was raw, unadulterated passion in its purest form.

"Cally's room, then!" Blake yelled now after witnessing a panicky look in Gan's eyes when they all heard Avon's husky voice breathe _'God, Cally_!' once again.

"Unable to shut down the com-system." Zen stated calmly. "It is sending throughout Liberator. The system has possibly been damaged by the explosion in the main screen circuitry."

"Oh, great." Jenna sighed with a look at Vila, who had done the expert job on that one. They all knew very well that the only person who could fix the problem quickly, was currently fully engaged in other duties.

Blake, resolved, pushed the com button and cleared his throat to be able to speak in the detached tone of voice he was looking for.

"Avon? You might want to turn off the com."

They listened to some more rummaging until a squeaking sound and a heavy thud told them that the two on the other side of the com had just landed on Cally's bunk.

"_Avon ! _"said Blake, a lot louder now.

Again no other reply than some tingling of metal and more heavy breathing.

Cally's almost unintelligible comment -"...Av..., ..ust you...._always....._ear leather?!"- and a little imagination had them all envisioning the Auron's slender fingers, unbuttoning the countless buttons on Avon's leather jacket, while her mouth was clearly otherwise occupied.

"I guess he's busy." Vila said dryly.

All eyes were on Blake now and for the first time since they'd known him, he seemed unsure about what course of action to take. He was unable to concentrate with all the explicit noises distracting him. True, they had all been hoping that Cally and Avon would end up doing exactly what they were doing now, but never in his wildest dreams, had Blake assumed that the whole crew would be part of the experience. He himself felt inappropriate stirrings in his body. The unwanted, sudden feelings stunned him into action. They needed distractions. Work on the problem at hand was good. And earplugs! Earplugs were good too. He picked up some tools from the toolbox, threw a wrench Vila's way.

"Let's get to work."

Vila was lucky to catch the tool before it collided with his head. He got to his feet and made his way to the main screen, fully intend on working his way around any problem he would find, in order to prolong the audio-show. This little episode would give him ammunition to tease Avon for years! He was already gleaming with anticipation at the thought of the look on Avon's face when he would tell him that his private liaison with Cally had not been entirely as private as they had intended.

"Oh, and Vila....." Blake halted him. "Avon and Cally will never learn of this, understand?"

Blake was getting more annoying by the day. Spoil sport.


	4. Chapter 4

He woke up to the unfamiliar feel of rumpled sheets. Cotton. Not silk. He was not in his own cabin. The atmosphere around him was different. Different scent too. A faint fragrance of jasmine tickled his nostrils.

_Cally.__  
_  
He opened his eyes and looked straight at her naked form. She sat down at the foot end of the bed, her hair still wet from showering. She gave him a joyous smile.

Although Avon had explored every inch of that body last night, he felt uncomfortable about her nudity. He had been in a different frame of mind then and was relieved to find that today he was his own rational self again. He opened his mouth but couldn't come up with an appropriate thing to say, distracted as he was by the flashbacks of their lovemaking.

"I'm sorry." Cally said when she sensed his awkwardness "I should have realized...."

The magic of her Auron influence had worn off as soon as he had given in to her needs. She grabbed the first piece of clothing she could find beside the bed and flung it around her. If anything, Avon's leather jacket only sparked his excitement as it was barely sufficient in length to hide the temptation underneath. Self-conscious he pulled the sheets up higher and sat up to relieve the strain in his aching muscles.

"It'll go away." Cally said.

"What?" He didn't quite manage to hide the guilty look in his eyes.

"The memory of last night."

"Oh."

"And the psychic link too." she assured him. "I already have trouble sensing you."

"Good." he said and gave her a look, that told her that it had better disappear soon.

" It'll be easier once you've forgotten." Cally said business like. "You must feel very awkward now."

"Cally, it's not..."

"It's alright Avon. I'm an alien, remember? You won't be hurting my feelings."

"What about _my_ feelings?"

"I'm glad that you finally admit to having them."

She smiled at him, a warm smile and started buttoning the jacket. The tingling of the metal fastenings causing some very vivid mental images in Avon's mind.

" I wonder about humans though. " she said. "The Auron male can perform only when he has met his predestined mate. How is it possible for human males to have intercourse with partners they do not love?"

"For humans, love and passion are not always interlinked. " Avon said. "You can love someone your whole life without ever making love to them. But you can just as easily have sex with someone you do not love at all."

"How is that possible?"

He smiled at her childlike innocence. To his own surprise he really rather enjoyed enlightening her on the subject of human relations. Who would have thought?

"Well, the conditions should be right."

"Conditions?"

"Like for instance being in the presence of a beautiful woman..." His fingers patted invitingly on the bed. "...wearing a leather jacket with nothing underneath."

He reached for her hand and pulled her closer.

"And the memory of a very unusual evening...that I would rather not forget."

Cally sat down beside him, still holding his hand. She was puzzled.

"Avon, you're free of me now." she said. "Once the bond is not fruitful, the effect will wear off. It is no longer necessary for me to leave. You will soon have forgotten what happened and we can work together as before."

"What makes you think I want to forget?" he said with a glistening in the eyes. "Why don't we construct a fresh memory, while we are in full possession of our wits. A memory that will last."

"This is most unusual." Cally said.

"Are you telling me that Aurons only make love once?"

"We make love in many different ways. The part you humans depict as the sexual act is very rare though."

"Well, now that you're staying with us, maybe it's time you learned some human customs."

"Avon, what do you mean?"

"I mean that last night, I was a different person. You know that. Your Auron magic changed me into something that fitted your needs. I want to make love to you. Not like the wild fight we had last night. We'll take it slow this time."

"But.........."

_.....you love Anna. _

_S_he had almost let it slip.

The face of this blond woman had been omnipresent in Avon's feverish brain. Cally had felt the aching, the strong feelings of grief and hurt. She knew now, that the main reason for Avon's resentment to become her mate, was his love for a mysterious female on earth called Anna.

She had felt her presence in every kiss, in every caress. This nagging feeling of guilt and betrayal that was lingering there in the dark corners of his scarred soul. It was clear to her, that Avon suffered from what humans called a broken heart. She was glad to discover that somehow their bonding had contributed to the healing of that heart.

And maybe Avon had been wrong about interracial T 'Accoplamèr. The fact that her subconscious chose him was not solely based on _her _feelings. He must have been at least somewhat susceptible to her affections.

".....I can do slow." she finally said and ran her fingers through his ruffled hair.

He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. To her surprise the light touch of his lips sent shivers through her spine. He cupped her chin and waited for the consent in her eyes to kiss her properly.

"_Avon?"_

The harsh metallic static of the intercom buzzed through the stillness of the cabin.

"_We really need your help right now." _Blake actually sounded apologetic. "_We have a pressing problem."_

The disappointment in his eyes showed her how much he wanted her. Cally kissed him, a long, luscious kiss that left him breathless and longing for more. She then took off his leather jacket and slipped between the sheets.

"I'll be right here when you get back."

And with that she pushed him out of bed.

***

It was Vila's watch, but Gan and Jenna were also on the flight-deck. The problem at hand must have really been pressing, if they were all here. There was something odd though. No one noticed him when he entered and it was very quiet on deck. No sign of any emergency. Gan and Jenna were watching vids on their VR-players and from where he stood, Avon could hear that the volume on both devices was turned up high. Vila was monitoring his instruments and didn't notice the new arrival before he came up behind him and gave him a fright.

"Uh! Avon!" he said startled. The guilty look in his eyes immediately made Avon suspicious.

Blake appeared from behind the main screen, looking as though he hadn't slept in a week. Avon was just going to complain about being summoned while clearly there was no sign of any present danger, when he was interrupted. A pleasant voice resonated through the deck. Someone was softly singing. Blake and Vila didn't seem to hear it and Avon briefly wondered if it was still Auron magic ringing in his ears, because he clearly recognized the voice as Cally's.

It was not until Blake took out the earplugs, that the ugly truth gradually dawned on him.

"Before you go back...." Blake said, carefully avoiding Avon's eyes that had already adopted the wide, hazy gaze that indicated that his brain had just processed the ramifications of what he had just learned. "We could really use some help on the com system."

"Don't worry. " Vila patted him on the shoulder kindly and pointed at his ears. "First class plugs. Didn't hear a thing!"

Coming from Vila, these words were not exactly reassuring.


End file.
